I am coming extremely close to the end of my 366 blog post challenge and all I can truly say is that I am completely shocked that I have made it this far. It has been a huge time commitment and at times a struggle. I’ve learned many lessons over this past year (which I’ll share in a separate blog post), but for now I would like to share my favorite posts from the last three hundred and fifty-eight days.

Day 5: Emotions We Conceal
Do not deny the feelings and emotions that are stirring in your heart. If they are present, they are meant to be felt for their entire duration however long that may be. Emotions exist to make life vibrant and to remind us that we are alive.

Day 7: Dearest Connection
Dearest connection where have you been? Have you been avoiding me? For so long I have not felt your presence, for so long there has not been a feeling of warmth between souls.

Day 14: Holding On Loosely
A theme that I have recently been thinking about a lot is holding onto something that you love and cherish, but holding it loosely. There is something so vulnerable about being in love with something and having that thing to hold on to. We love so many things in life. People both our significant other… Continue reading Day 14: Holding On Loosely

Day 18: Be There
How can we be there for someone we know? Often times in friendship I think we focus far too often on what we can gain and how we can benefit from knowing the other person. Friendship is about two people giving to the other person because they deeply care about them. Friendship is never one-sided.

Day 34: Words We Won’t Say
Have you ever withheld from saying something? Or never had the opportunity to say something you really wanted to? I think we can often fall prey to leaving words left unsaid, words that will later come back to plague our minds.

Day 39: To Hold
There is something so beautiful about someone’s hands. They have stories in every crease and scar, telling us a little bit about the person they belong to. They serve as a very practical feature, yet there is so much meaning in their existence.

Day 62: Tell Them You Care
If you knew you were going to die tomorrow and had only enough time to write letters to the people you cared about, what would you say to them? Life is such a fragile gift that could disappear in an instant, have you told everyone you love how much you care?

Day 107: When They Fall
There’s something so tragically beautiful about the destruction of the past. When old historic builds are torn down in the name of progress and their decaying ruins lay exposed to the elements. The unrecognizable form of what used to be a home brings tears to the surface and roots within the heart a deep sorrow.

Day 113: Remembering
There are periods of time in life when we just miss something for extended periods of time. It isn’t necessarily that we are sad over missing something, we simply become nostalgic over our past. Whether that be a moment, a person, a conversation, etc. There are simply periods of our life that are spent missing… Continue reading Day 113: Remembering

Day 126: Why We Write
Why do you write? Like much of everything else, there is a reason behind why we do something. In this case, what is it that propels you to write? Or if you find yourself on the side of not writing, why don’t you write?

Day 145: Fall, Fail and Crash. Rise, Win, and Rebuild.
Sometimes we fall, sometimes we fail, and sometimes we crash. That is unfortunately part of life and if we are not falling, failing, and crashing we are not truly trying hard enough. But that is never the end, we never simply fall, fail, or crash. We always have the chance to rise, win, and rebuild.

Day 174: Completely Unaware
Bleak yet peaceful days filled with early spring flowers and chilled air are unlike any other type of day and have a way of stilling even the most restless hearts. They have a timeless wonder about them and while most people seek shelter in cozy houses, there are a few who find themselves wrapped in… Continue reading Day 174: Completely Unaware

Day 179: Forming Connections
It is during times of great darkness that we need to find connection. When the shadows creep into our lives and everything seems to be falling into chaos, there has to be a string of connection that keeps us rooted. During times of hardship, uncertainties, and fear we need to grasp onto something that is… Continue reading Day 179: Forming Connections

Day 195: Stillness
It’s all about learning to live with the stillness, with the peace, and with the solitude. There are times when we must retreat into our own little world and there are other times when we choose to retreat into our world. But we must learn how to live with ourselves in the stillness and that… Continue reading Day 195: Stillness

Day 199: Growing
Something will grow from what you are going through. This isn’t some simple statement that one makes, this is a promise. A direct promise to you and your heart as you walk through what seems like a burning fire. In every difficult situation, something will grow. And that something will always be you.

Day 202: Rediscovering
The world has slowed so you can rediscover yourself. Everything about normal life has slowed in one way or another. Nothing is quite as it used to be and while it will soon return to normal, there’s a touch of magic currently hanging in the air. The world has slowed down so that we can… Continue reading Day 202: Rediscovering

Day 244: Dreaming With Fear
Dreams are completely and utterly terrifying. If you’re not scared to death over the idea of the dream you feel is on your heart, it is not big enough. If you are truly dreaming big enough and if you are truly thinking about the dream that’s on your heart, there should be a rather large… Continue reading Day 244: Dreaming With Fear

Day 260: Into The Clouds
Clouds are simply beautiful, beautiful creations. They pass by without so much as a sound, sometimes a simple wisp and sometimes they mass together creating devastating storms. They contain unlimited diversity, no clouds I have seen as ever been the same as the last. It is truly amazing to witness them every single day, or… Continue reading Day 260: Into The Clouds

Day 268: No Regrets
You know that action you are afraid of? The one that twists your stomach and keeps you from eating all day because the thought of doing that action completely terrifies you? Often that can be one of the most important actions you can take, it’s the one you know is right, but you are just… Continue reading Day 268: No Regrets

Day 272: Living With Regrets
Sometimes you have to do the things you are afraid of doing, the ones you know you have to do otherwise you’ll regret it till the end of your days. We’ve all been in this place in our lives and we will most certainly end up back there at some point in time. It is… Continue reading Day 272: Living With Regrets

Day 273: Memories
We have all heard the quote from Dr. Seuss that tells us, “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” It rings out with such truth and is a reminder that when we are living life, we often forget we are making memories we will soon look back… Continue reading Day 273: Memories

Day 294: Honest Words
Below is an honest journal entry from last night when I could feel both the weight of the entire world and the endless possibilities before me. Not every day is glamorous, some days you can feel defeated and that’s okay. It’s good to feel down, because when you feel down, you’ll be able to appreciate… Continue reading Day 294: Honest Words

Day 303: Dancing In The Rain
There’s something so beautiful about watching dark clouds descend from the heavens and approach across the horizon. Feeling the light droplets of water falling down from such great heights and having the utter chance of landing upon your human frame. There is such beauty in a day so completely filled with lightning and thunder.

Day 336: Chasing Sunsets
I have hardly ever been more enthralled with a moment and so filled with wonder because of it than during last nights sunset. It was a sight I will never forget and by far one of the most incredible scenes of color, light, and majesty that I have ever seen with my own two eyes.… Continue reading Day 336: Chasing Sunsets

Day 340: An Honest Look At Life
There’s a fog hanging thick around my mind. All I can see is the negative, the already done, the perfection of others. Nothing is new, nothing is exciting, and nothing is different. I try to come through the fog and yet it clings to me as if I were its very lift source. And perhaps… Continue reading Day 340: An Honest Look At Life
What was your favorite blog post from this year?
Until Next Time,
Lillian Merritt